I can't sleep so I've finished off the next update. I'm a little bit overwhelmed by all the reviews, I never expected this fic to be so popular. I've got a vague idea of where things are going but if there's anything you'd like to see please let me know and I'll try and fit it in somewhere :) x

Almost two weeks passed where Rita's pregnancy wasn't mentioned, she and Dylan retained a professional relationship when necessary although both prefered to work with other members of the staff where possible.

Rita was doing her best to conceal her pregnancy, and, even though she felt like she was constantly fighting back the urge to vomit, she seemed to be keeping the news a secret, the only people that knew were Dylan, Connie, Zoe and Dixie, all of whom were discretely making sure the nurse didn't do anything too strenuous.

"Come in" Connie looked up from her laptop when she heard a tap on her office door, "Rita" she frowned as she saw the nurse stood in her doorway, "I didn't think you were in today."

"I'm not" Rita said as she stepped into the office and clicked the door shut behind her, "well not to work anyway."

"What do you mean?" Connie frowned as she gestured for Rita to sit in the chair opposite her.

"I had an appointment upstairs" Rita admitted, "in maternity, for a dating scan."

Connie nodded, "and is everything okay?"

Rita nodded, "yeah, everything's fine, I had my booking appointment with my midwife last week, I erm, I've decided I'm going to keep the baby."

Connie nodded, again, "okay, how far along are you? Have you thought about your maternity leave yet?"

"I'm 14 weeks" Rita said softly, "and I haven't given it too much thought just yet, I think I'd like to keep working for as long as I can though."

"Okay" Connie nodded, she could hardly argue she'd done the same, "well if you think of a rough time when you'd like your leave to start we can always adjust it if you change your mind, you might feel okay to work now but you might change your mind in a few months time."

Rita nodded, "thank you."

"How are you feeling now, do you want to stick to light duties? Cubicles and minor injuries?"

Rita shook her head, "I think I'm okay to carry on as normal for the time being, I'm going to start telling people too, I'll tell Charlie and Tess in the morning and then" she shrugged, "I don't think I'm going to make a big announcement but I won't deny it if anyone asks."

Connie nodded, "okay, well if there's anything I can do…" she was interrupted by a knock on the door, "yes?"

"There's been a majax on the motorway" Charlie said as he stepped into the office, "the casualties are being brought here, there's at least 8 serious and 20 walking wounded, Noel and Louise are starting to clear the minor injuries from reception."

"Thank you" Connie nodded, "I'm on my way."

"Do you want an extra pair of hands? I've not got anywhere else to be" Rita asked, looking from Connie to Charlie.

Charlie frowned slightly, he hadn't even noticed Rita was there, "it would be a help."

Connie nodded, "as long as you feel up to it. And you take a break if you need to."

Charlie frowned again, "is there something I need to know?"

Rita nodded, "I was going to tell you when I came in in the morning..."

"I'll go and make sure everyone else is prepared" Connie said, leaving the room to give Charlie and Rita some privacy.

"Tell me what?" Charlie asked as he stepped away from the door to let Connie out.

"I'm pregnant" Rita cut straight to the chase, "14 weeks, I'd have told you sooner only I wasn't sure what I was going to do" she began to ramble, "but I had my dating scan today and everything's looking good so…"

Charlie couldn't help but smile as he embraced Rita in a tight hug, "congratulations" he smiled, "I had no idea."

"I don't know why" Rita smiled softly as she returned the hug, "I feel like I've spent more time in the toilets throwing up than I've spent in the department over the last couple of weeks."

Charlie chuckled slightly, "well, you know where I am if you need anything."

Rita nodded, "thank you, I should go and get changed if I'm going to help."

"Of course" Charlie nodded, "just be carefull out there, no one will judge you for taking a step back."

"I'll be fine Charlie, don't worry about me."

"I'm promising nothing" Charlie said with a chuckle, opening the door for Rita so she could go and get changed.

Rita changed into her scrubs and opened her locker to place her clothes inside. She carefully put her handbag on top of her jeans and tshirt and smiled softly as she saw the corner of a white envelope peeking from the top of the bag. She checked she was alone before slipping the fuzzy pictures from the envelope, unable to keep the smile from her face, even now she'd seen the grainy black and white images she still struggled to believe that there was an actual baby growing inside her, she still couldn't believe that, in just a few short months time, she was going to be a Mummy. She glanced at Dylan's locker and took a deep breath before taking a pen from her bag, scribbling her due date on the back of one of the images she pushed it through the gap into his locker before locking her own copy of the picture safely in her own locker, "come on Freeman" she mumbled under her breath as she stood against the cool metal and took another deep breath, "you've got a job to do."

She stepped out of the staff room just in time to see the first casualty being brought into the department and quickly fell into step beside her colleagues as the paramedics reeled off the information they had about the patient, one of the drivers involved in the accident. She was so busy listening to the details that she didn't realise which doctor she'd be working with, not until he spoke, "Rita, are you okay to be in here?" Dylan asked, "I can get someone else if you'd rather be in cubicles?" he didn't look Rita in the eye as he helped move the patient from the trolley to the bed.

"I'm fine" Rita told him as she began to assess the patient and attach the various monitors, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could manage."

"Yes, well, if you change your mind…"

"I'll be the first to let you know."

Rita yawned slightly as she pulled off her gloves several hours later once the last patient had been taken up to theatre. "We're going to the pub" Robyn told Rita as Rita walked out of resus, "fancy it?"

Rita shook her head, "Not tonight, I'm ready for my bed."

"Come on" Robyn encouraged, "we can wait for you to get changed, just come for one, Tess has said the first round's on her."

"I'm going to give it a miss" Rita said, "sorry, you enjoy yourself though" she smiled before walking off into the staff room to change out of her scrubs.

"You erm, you did well today" Dylan came into the staff room as Rita was on her way out, "I erm…"

"I was just doing my job" Rita said as she pushed her bag back onto her shoulder.

"Yes, well…"

"Rita, are you coming for a drink?" Lofty asked as he saw the nurse stood in the doorway to the staffroom.

"I'll see you tomorrow" Rita mumbled, slipping past Dylan and walking over to Lofty, "not tonight, I'm going to go home and have an early night."

"Aww, come on, just one" he tried to encourage her, "Tess is buying."

"I'm not erm, I'm not really drinking at the moment" she said as they approached the other staff who were all waiting by the door, Rita seized the moment, "I'm not drinking because I'm pregnant."

"What?" Robyn gasped, pulling her friend into a hug, "congratulations."

Rita felt her face flush as everyone began to congratulate her and she was pulled into an almost suffocating group hug, "What's going on here then?" Tess asked as she walked over to the group of doctors and nurses.

"You can't say no to a drink now" Cal told Rita, "not when we're celebrating."

"What are we celebrating?" Tess asked, "this sounds expensive."

"I was going to tell you in the morning" Rita told Tess when she was finally released from the hug, "I didn't want you to be the last to know."

"The last to know what?" Tess frowned.

"I'm pregnant, 14 weeks. I wanted to wait until I'd had my first scan, until I was sure everything was okay before I said anything" she decided to keep the fact she'd had doubts about keeping the baby to herself.

Tess couldn't help but smile, "and I take it everything's okay?"

Rita nodded, "I had my scan this morning, 10 little fingers and toes, everything's perfect."

"Well congratulations" Tess hugged Rita, "looks like the champagne...and the orange juices are on me."

Dylan meanwhile had found the scan photo, it had fluttered to the floor when he'd opened his locker, he'd spent a moment looking at the blurry image before going after Rita, stepping into the corridor just in time to see Rita announce her pregnancy, just in time to hear the cheers of congratulations as the nurse was engulfed in a hug by her friends, all wanting to share in her joy. He glanced down at the picture still clutched in his hands before looking up as Tess wrapped her arms around Rita, his eyes met hers for a split second and it was in that tiny moment Dylan felt his heart break, it was in that second Dylan realised that choosing to walk out of his child's life was quite possibly the worst decision he'd ever made and as he turned to walk back into the staffroom Rita swore she saw unshed tears shining in Dylan's eyes.